Vending machine structure



Oct. 18, 1932. F. H. VOGEL VENDING MACHINE STRUCTURE Filed April 6, 1951 IN V EN TOR. Frank Vo yei Patented Oct. 18, 1932 srA'ra-s PATENT LO'FZFTI CEE FRANK H. VOGEL, OF'COEUMBUSfOHIO, ASSIGNOR T THE'COLUMBUS 'VENDINGCOMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, "OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO VE'N DIN G MACHINE "STRUCTURE Application "filed Apr .My invention relates to vendingmachine structure. .It has to .do particularly with the provision of a 'means for securing the globe or other articletcontainer upon-a yend- 111g machine.

In.the?past, various devices-havebeen used forsecuring globes or article containers upon vending machines :but'the securing means utilized .has usually .been of :such structure m. that it has beenidiflicultitoseparate the globe or containerfromithe :vendingmachine, as is frequently -n'ecessaryfl-for washing or other purposes. :Furthermore, the usual securing means has'been of such a nature as torender 12? the interior of the. globe or container comparativelyineccessible.

.One .ofthe objects of .myinvention is to provide azmeansfor seeuringtthe globe or container. in positionasapart of a vending machine with aminimumof difliculty. .In' other Words, itisdesirable .to {provide-a securing means of such nature. that it-may beirendered operative withease and facility.

.Anotherobjectofmy invention is to providea securing :means of suchanaturethat it may be readily disconnected. Furthermore, this securing-meansshould be of such form as topermit this connection without completelydisassembly of-the parts.

.Another object ofmy inventionis to providensecuringmeans which may be more cheaplyconstructed. At the sametime, this securii -means-shou ldlbe of tougher materialan more resistance-'to suchbreakage as rriightIberesorted to for the purpose oftamperingwithzor robbingthe machine.

The preferred embodiment of myinvention contemplatesthe.provision of aplurality of pivotally:mountedv bolts withnuts'thereon designed'for cooperationwith a. retainingring which 'is superimposed :upon the globe or other containing element. dreferably, these bolts are pivotallymounted upon the-top of the vending mechanism and at spacedpoints thereon. They extend upwardly and are preferably .disposedfin parallel relation when in operative position. They are designed so that they .m'ay beswung into orout of openended slots in llugs which form an .integral part of .the retaining. ring, vbeing equipped wherein similar characters of reference desig- 1931. Serial No. 528,050.

with adjustable nuts which may cooperate with these lugs for retention ofathe bolts in operative position.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing nate corresponding parts and wherein:

.Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a vending machine made in accordance with my invention, the cap of thevending machine being broken away.

Figure 2 is a detail, partially in section, illustrating the connection between my retaining ring and one of the bolts whichIpreferably utilize.

Figure 3 is a topplan view of my retaining ring removed.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the upper ,portionof avending machine, illustrating a globe, my retaining ring mounted thereon and showing my bolts disconnected from the said retaining ring.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken through the'cap-of a vending machine made in accordance withmy invention. 7

In the drawing, my invention is shown as comprising a vending machine wherein the upper plate '1 of the vending mechanism is provided with spaced perforated lugsQ and 3. These upstanding perforated lugs 12 and 3 are adapted for the reception of the hookshaped ends 4 and 5 of the bolts 6 and 7.

These bolts 6 and 7 are normally disposed, during operation, in upstanding parallel relation, although they may be in aslanting position. They are threaded at their upper ends as shown at 8 in Figure 2. Threaded upon these bolts are nuts 10 and 11 which are provided upon their lower ends with convex formations, as illustrated in Figure 2. These nuts are preferably made comparativelylarge in order to secure more leverage and are also deeply knurled so that awrench isnot needed in tightening or loosening them. In the drawing, these nuts are shown to be cylindrical in shape, but they may be of hexagonal or any other desired shape.

Designed for cooperation with these upstanding bolts 6 and 7 is a retaining ring 14 which is designed tobe mounted upon the 1 top of a globe 15, being cushioned thereon by means of an elastic washer 16. The ring 1 1 is preferably provided on the interior thereof with a downwardly turned flange 17. It is also provided with oppositely disposed lugs 18 and 19 extending radially in from the interior wall thereof.

The lugs 18 and 19 are preferably formed with open-ended slots 20.and 21 so that the bolts Gand 7 may be readily swung from such a position as that shown in Figure 4 into these slots and 21. When these bolts have been moved into these slots 20 and 21, they may be held in this position by downward ad1ustment of the nuts 10 and 11. The upper surfaces of the lugs 18 and 19 have a concave formation as at 22 and 23 and the'adjustment of the nuts 10 and 11 downwardly onto these lugs causes the convex bottoms of the nuts to seat in the concave formations 22 and 23 and prevent accidental swinging of the bolts out of the slots in these lugs.

The retaining ring 14 is further provided upon its exterior witha projecting lug 24 and, diametrically opposite thereto, it is provided with a projecting lug 25. The lug 24 has an aperture 26 therein of eccentric form and the lug has a closed slot 27 formed therein.

My structure is also provided'with a cap 28 having a finger 29 extending radially outward from one side thereof. This finger 29 is also provided further with an L-shaped extension 30 which is adapted to be hooked into the aperture 26 of the lug 24:. Directly opposite the finger 29 is a lug 31 and the cap 28 is cutaway as at 32 and 33. This lug 31 extends downwardly into and through the opening 27 in the lug 25. It is apertured as at 34 for the reception of a padlock 35.

In assembling the structure, it will vbe understood that, with the bolts 6 and 7 connectedto the lugs 2 and 3, the globe or other container is placed in position upon the plate 1. Then, the retaining ring 1 1 with its cush- 3 18 and 19. In this position, the bolts 6 and 7 are spaced apart, as shown in Figure 1, and the interior of the globe or container is comparatively accessible. When these parts have been thus assembled, the cap 28 may be placed in position by hooking the finger 2930 into the opening 26 of the lug 24 and by passing the lug 31 downwardly through the slot 27 of the lug 25. A padlock may be applied to hold these parts in this assembled position. It will be apparent that the assembling of this device is much more simple than previous devices of this character because of the ease with which the bolts 6 and 7 may be swung into the open-ended slots justedvertically upward to a sufficient extent to permit the swinging of the bolts 6 and 7 out of the open-ended slots'20' and 21, for example, to the position shown in Figure 4. It will be apparent that the nuts 10 and 11 need not be entirely removed from.

the bolts to effect this disconnection; When the bolts have been removed fromthe openended slots 20 and 21, the retaining-ring may be removed and the globe or containermay then be removed, if desired. Furthermore, when the bolts have been removed from the slots, they maybe swung'to one side (F igure 4:) making the inside of the container more easily accessible for cleaning or other.

purposes.

It will be'seen that I have provided a simple apparatus for connecting the globe or container in position upon" the vending machine with a minimum of difiiculty. Furthermore, the bolts may be detached from the retaining ring without separating the nuts therefrom, thus avoiding the frequent occurrence of the dropping of such nuts into the container. It will also be apparent that, once these nuts have been adjusted downwardly to the'proper extent,the retaining ring will be held firmly in position while, at the same time, the interior of the globe will be readily accessible. It will also be apparent that, owing to theofact that the retaining ring is stamped fromsheet metal and is provided with a closed slot 27, there will be less likelihood of tampering with the machine by the breaking off of the end ofthelug 25 and the lifting of the cap. This is one difficulty that has arisen in the past from the use of lugs of cast material with open-endedslots therein which may be more readily fractured.

It will be appare'ntthat I have produced an extremely simple structure which is, nevertheless, readily assembled or disconnected and which,'at the same time, efiiciently performs the service for which it is intended.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what l'claimis:

1. Vending machinestructure comprising a base portion embodying the usual dispens ing mechanism, a receptacle adapted to contain the articles to'be dispensed mounted upon said base portion, a retaining ring provided with open-ended slots mounted upon the top of said receptacle, a plurality of bolt members disposed within the space defined by said receptacle and mounted upon the top of said base portion movable into said openended slots to hold said retaining ring in secured position and movable out of said openended slots to release said retaining ring from secured position, and means for holding said bolt members in place within the slots.

2. Vending machine structure comprising a base portion embodying the usual dispensing mechanism, a receptacle adapted to contain the articles to be dispensed mounted upon said base portion, a retaining ring provided with lugs having open-ended slots therein mounted upon the top of said receptacle, a plurality of bolt members disposed within the space defined by said receptacle and mounted upon the top of said base portion movable into said open-ended slots to hold said retaining ring in secured position and movable out of said open-ended slot-s to release said retaining ring from secured position, and means for holding said bolt members in place within the slots.

3. Vending machine structure comprising a base portion embodying the usual dispensing mechanism, a receptacle adapted to con tain the articles to be dispensed mounted upon said base portion, a retaining ring provided with open-ended slots mounted upon the top of said receptacle, a plurality of bolt members disposed within the space defined by said receptacle and pivotally mounted upon the top of said base portion movable into said open-ended slots to hold said retaining ring in secured position and movable out of said open-ended slots to release said retaining ring from secured position, and nuts threaded onto the ends of said bolt members adjustable downwardly into engagement with the portions of said retaining ring surrounding said open-ended slots when said bolt members are in cooperative relation with said slots and adjustable upwardly and out of contact with said retaining ring when it is desired to move said bolt members out of cooperative relation with said slots.

4. Vending machine structure comprising a base portion embodying the usual dispens ing mechanism, a receptacle adapted to contain the articles to be dispensed mounted upon said base portion, a retaining ring mounted upon the top of said receptacle,

lugs having open-ended slots therein extending inwardly from the interior periphery of said retaining ring, a plurality of bolt members disposed within the space defined by said receptacle and pivotally mounted upon the top of said base portion movable into said open-ended slots to hold said retaining ring in secured position and movable out of said open-ended slots to release said retaining ring from secured position, and nuts threaded onto the ends of said bolt members adjustable signature.

FRANK H. VOGEL. 

